Guatemalan Perspective on Time

Have you ever had to wait? It can be hard! We are thankful for exciting advances at the Little Guatemala building – see the pictures below! – but there is also a lot of waiting going on! Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm along the way – it has been such an encouragement to us! And so has a Guatemalan perspective on time!!

Actually, you may have heard that one of the important differences between the American and Guatemalan cultures is their perspectives on time. In general, America has a stricter sense of time with an emphasis on meeting deadlines and being on time, while Guatemala has a more relaxed view of time, focusing on relationships and seeing that the job is done well. While both perspectives have pros and cons, we would like to take a minute to write out some reflections about how the Guatemalan perspective of time has been helpful in our period of waiting.

Projected opening dates have been passed up, BUT…

we have had an opportunity to focus on growing in our abilities in coffee roasting and chocolate making! (job well-done!)

We are not able to bring the community into the building yet, BUT…

we have been able to go OUT into the community with our mobile coffee cart! (relationships!)

There are a lot more renovations to do than we originally expected, BUT…

a community of knowledgeable old and new friends have stepped in to guide us! (relationships!)

We need to wait on certain permits etc. before moving forward in some areas, BUT…

we have learned so very much about how projects should be done! (job well-done!)

Whew! According to Guatemalan time, we can still call it a win! What about you? Anything moving at a different pace than you had planned or hoped for? Maybe Guatemala’s more relaxed approach to time can be an encouragement to you to take a minute to see if something else worthwhile has happened in the waiting.

While it has been tempting to lose hope or be frustrated about the pace of progress, we can honestly say we have peace about exactly where we are.

Phil. 4:6,7 “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, through prayer and petition, present your requests before God, and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”